Brussels, 03/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - After the explosion that damaged a trunk gas pipeline in northern Moldova at dawn on 1 April, the situation for gas supply in South East Europe was on the agenda of a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group (GCG) in Brussels on Thursday 2 April. After hearing reports from countries affected, the GCG concluded that the “situation appears to be under control”. The “explosion (…) has affected gas supply to EU countries and the Energy Community but only to a minor degree”, the European Commission assures, chairing the work of the group composed of member state representatives and representatives of the gas sector. Romania said it had not been affected by the incident. Bulgaria reported a decline in gas supply which could be compensated by using gas from underground storage. Within the Energy Community, only the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which is directly supplied by the damaged gas pipeline, is affected. The Commission states, however, that FYROM's demand for gas is down after the January gas crisis and that the reduced supply can be compensated using gas in the transport system (“line pack”). The blast affected a pipeline 1,200 millimetres in diameter, which passes 2 metres underground. Repair of the pipeline should be completed within the next few days. “Even if the situation appears under control, the latest event confirms once again the need to speed up the revision of the gas supply directive as well as initiatives to promote the construction of the necessary infrastructures to improve gas interconnections within the EU and with our main suppliers”, the Commission points out. (E.H./transl.jl)